Au January 1, 2024, the priority districts of urban policy (QPV) of Hauts-de-France are home to 753,100 inhabitants, making it the region most affected by priority geography after Île-de-France, according to an INSEE analysis.
Indeed, Hauts-de-France has 204 QPV out of 1362 (94 in the Nord and 64 in Pas-de-Calais) in France and Île-de-France has 298. More precisely, the 753,100 inhabitants QPVs in Hauts-de-France concentrate 13% of the regional population compared to 8% in mainland France.
The priority districts of Hauts-de-France are on average more populated than in the provinces (3,700 inhabitants compared to 3,400), and even more in the Nord department (4,600 inhabitants on average), which includes two of the three most populated districts of mainland France: the “Quartier Intercommunal Roubaix-Tourcoing-Blanc Seau-Croix Bas Saint Pierre-Wattrelos Nord” (77,300 inhabitants) and “South Sector” (53,300 inhabitants) in the municipalities of Faches-Thumesnil, Lezennes, Lille and Loos.
Mergers and updates
The list and outlines of the QPVs in force since 2015 were updated at the start of 2024. Following this update, only 21 of the 199 old QPVs retained their perimeter as of January 1, 2024. A majority of the region's old neighborhoods saw their contour modified on a more or less large scale. The surface area of some even tripleslike in Villeneuve-d’Ascq or Boulogne-sur-Mer.
“Résidence” and “Résidence-Poste-Terroir” (in Villeneuve-d’Ascq) are grouped together and integrate a new district three times larger (73 hectares): “Résidence-Poste-Triolo” (8,500 inhabitants in 2020).
“Des Résidences Sud du Boulonnais” (6,300 inhabitants) stretches over an area including three of the old districts of the coastal façade: “Henriville-Montplaisir” (in the communes of Portel and Boulogne-sur-Mer) , “Quartier des Résidences” (Le Portel) and “Quartier Tour du Renard” (Outreau). This territory now covers 113 hectares compared to 38 in 2015.
Finally, “Cité Thiers-Cité du Rivage-Brunehaut” (128 hectares and 4,200 inhabitants) results from the merger of two old districts of 52 and 34 hectares in the municipalities of Bruay-sur-l'Escaut, Escautpont and Raismes.
Profile of residents
In 2020, 17.2% of the population of Hauts-de-France lived below the monetary poverty line, or around one million people. This is the second most exposed metropolitan region with 4 out of 5 departments among the most affected at the national level. The share of social minimum beneficiaries is the highest in mainland France. In fact, social benefits constitute 43% of the disposable income of households in the region below the poverty line (compared to 37% on the national average).
The poverty rate in Pas-de-Calais is 18.4% and in the North, it is 19.5%. Also, retirees in Hauts-de-France have a median annual standard of living close to that of all residents of the region, but 7.2% lower than the national average.
The population of the QPV of Hauts-de-France has a profile similar to that of the districts of mainland France in terms of age and family composition. Four out of 10 residents are under 25 years old and 18% are single-parent families. INSEE specifies that 8% of households are in a situation of overoccupancy.
Like residents of surrounding urban areas, however, they encounter greater difficulties entering the labor market and accessing stable employment, particularly due to lower qualifications. Among the active population of QPVs in the region, 33% are unemployedcompared to 28% for QPVs at the national level. 31% of young people under 25 are neither in employment, training or studies compared to 27% nationally.
The employment rate exceeds 50% in only 22 of 204 neighborhoods of the region and it never exceeds 60%. In “Beau Marais” (Calais), “Pont de Pierre” (Maubeuge), “Long Prés-Prés du Paradis” (Louvroil) and “Chevreux” (Soissons), fewer than three people of working age in ten have a job .
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